Sunday Reading: Your verbal felicity holds much water
By Dr Birbal Jha*
Your verbal felicity holds much water. It runs deep. It works miracles. In other words, your selection of words in communications can enthrone you. At the same time, it can dethrone you as well. It means you may be overthrown or removed from your position or a social setting in case your statement is found to be legally incorrect. Add to that, you may draw flak if your message is found to be morally wrong. It is not that you have to be only grammatically correct. You need to be factually accurate too. Be socially acceptable too when it comes to expressing yourself.
A slip of tongue demands an immediate utterance of saying sorry. So is the case with a slip of pen that seeks a corrigendum. Your misuse of words can land you in the soup whether it was used knowingly or unknowingly as ignorance is no excuse in a court of law. So, be particular about using terms and vocabulary. Let’s learn the interpretation of an expression in letter and spirit. Never forget to say, ‘I stand corrected’ or ‘I stand chastened’, ‘thank you’ on being corrected by someone.
Mind you! A language empowers you. Your verbal felicity pays you back. It places you on the right footing. It earns you a living. It enables you to roar like a lion. It can give you what you may be looking for or missing in life. It can shower you with a lot of love and respect. A word of love may heal even a deep wound. It can bestow upon you something that you may not have imagined in your life. Or it can unseat you in case there is an inappropriate use of words.
In your personal or professional life, language matters a lot. It paves the way for better bonding, growth and prosperity. It connects with you with ease. It may disconnect with you on the flip side. You need to develop a sense of sincerity about language skills. Don’t ever use a language that gives you kicks momentarily. Bear in mind whether it hurts others; whether it offends others; whether it damages others; whether it defames others; whether it crosses the limit. You may reword your expression to be neutral or affect a positive vibe.
In a recent development, reportedly, mere wrong use of the word has had the Congress leader Mr Rahul Gandhi lose his parliamentary seat after being convicted in a defamation case wherein he purportedly inflicted a slur on a particular community.
One thing is very clear the law is supreme. You may be in a higher position. But then a law is above you. Whether you are rich or poor, your diction is your identity. It denotes your personality.
You should refrain from accusing others without solid proof in a court of law. Resorting to libel, falsehood, slander or abusive words may boomerang on you. Never ever use such language that may jeopardize your position or career whatsoever. Mr Rahul Gandhi’s case is in point. It sends a strong message as to how to use and articulate language in professional or public life whatsoever.
The writer of this piece is Dr Birbal Jha, a noted author and the Managing Director of an institute having a popular trademark ‘British Lingua’. He is accredited with having created a revolution in English training In India with the slogan ‘English for all’.
